Protection of Civilians

On Monday afternoon (10 December), an Arria-formula meeting has been scheduled on “Raising the effectiveness of atrocity crimes prevention: role of the United Nations Security Council and its Members”. The meeting has been organised by Poland, in partnership with Belgium,...

At 3 pm on Monday afternoon (3 December), Poland, in partnership with Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, Kuwait and Peru, and with the cooperation of OHCHR, UNICEF, and the International Disability Alliance, is organising an Arria-formula meeting intended to focus the attention...

This afternoon (21 September), the Security Council is scheduled to adopt a presidential statement recognising the contribution of the updated Aide Memoire, a document designed to facilitate the Council’s consideration of issues pertaining to protection of civilians in armed conflict....

Tomorrow (24 May), the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the link between armed conflict and violence, and conflict-induced food insecurity, including the threat of famine. This adoption follows the 23 March Council briefing on this issue...

Tomorrow (22 May), the Security Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The debate will be chaired by Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz of Poland, which holds the presidency of the Council this...

In May, the Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Prior to the debate, it expects to receive the Secretary-General’s report on this topic. Themes expected to be raised in the report—and inform the debate—include measures to enhance compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law and the protection of health care in armed conflict. Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz of Poland, the Council president this month, will chair the meeting. Briefers are expected to include Secretary-General António Guterres; Yves Daccord, the Director-General of the ICRC; and a civil society representative. A chair’s summary of the meeting that captures concrete proposals for possible Council follow-up is expected to be circulated to the Council and the wider UN membership.

Tomorrow (23 March), the Security Council is convening a briefing on conflict and hunger, to be chaired by Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag. Briefings are expected from the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, and...

In March, at the initiative of the Council president, the Netherlands, the Council is expected to hold a high-level briefing on conflict and hunger. Possible briefers include representatives of the UN’s Rome-based agencies.

Tomorrow (1 December) there will be a closed Arria-formula meeting on unarmed approaches for the protection of civilians hosted by Uruguay, Senegal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Briefings will be provided by Namie Di Razza, a post-doctoral fellow at the...

Tomorrow morning (13 October), France, Italy, Sweden and Uruguay are organising an Arria-formula meeting on the issue of attacks on schools. The briefers will be Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba; Joy Bishara, one of the female...

In keeping with the Security Council’s August presidential statement on famine, a Secretariat official is expected to provide in October “an oral briefing…on country-specific impediments to an effective response to the risk of famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and northeast Nigeria and to make specific recommendations on how to address these impediments”. No immediate Council outcome is anticipated.

At the initiative of Bolivia, the Security Council will hold a briefing tomorrow (13 June) under the agenda item maintenance of international peace and security with the title “Comprehensive Approach to Mine Action and Explosive Hazard Threat Mitigation.” Assistant Secretary-General...

At the initiative of Bolivia, the Council is expected to hold a meeting in June on mine action and explosive hazard threat mitigation, with a briefing by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and possibly one other speaker who would offer a perspective from the field. Bolivia is expected to circulate a concept note ahead of the meeting and has signalled its intention to propose a draft resolution.

Tomorrow (25 May), the Security Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The meeting is expected to focus broadly on the protection of civilians agenda, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s recent report...

In May, the Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rodolfo Nin Novoa will preside. Secretary-General António Guterres and a high-level representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are expected to brief, in addition to a possible civil society briefer. The meeting will focus on the broad array of issues in the Secretary-General’s report on the protection of civilians (expected to be released by 15 May) and on the implementation of resolution 2286 of 3 May 2016, which focused on the protection of health care in armed conflict. No formal outcome is anticipated, although Uruguay has expressed its intention to produce a chair’s summary of the debate.